Work Text:
There was a pain that never left the heart of Eiji Okumura. It all started when he returned to his home of Japan after the events he experienced in America. Even when everyone around him could not shut up about how much they worried for him he still thought of him. It felt as if all of his waking moments were spent on thinking of him. His heart had a hole and every part of him begged to know what is of him now yet he knows he might only get hurt if he searches it up. Yet curiosity got the better of him and he built the courage to search up his name. His search came up fast as the first headline read.
“ A Young Teenage Boy Found Dead at the New York Public Library ”
Ash was gone… gone forever.
As the realization came to Eiji so did tears well up in his eyes. His knees felt weak and his mind felt heavy. As he sat down all he could do was cry and let the tears fall and stream down his face. The memory of Ash saying “さようなら” was a record that seemed to be on replay and a painful emptiness settled in his heart and never left. Ash.. no, his soulmate is gone and he took the other half of his soul.
Eiji used to hate having his hair long but now his hair was kept long as it carried memories of being patted by Ash’s calloused yet gentle hands. He used to think the smell of American mustard was strong but now the smell brings him the happy yet sad memories of Ash. Every day he lived he thought about Ash and the short time they spent together. At first Eiji thought that there will be a day where he will stop thinking about him, yet 80 years have passed since then and the memories are still crystal clear. Eiji became an old man who woke up early to feed birds, he was friends with all the neighbors, and watched pole vaulting on TV.
The sunset dyed the ocean a golden orange and the clouds above turned to different shades of pink. He thought of Ash and how they would watch sunsets together. Eiji closed his eyes to rest and they were never opened again. Eiji felt the world peacefully and with a smile on his face. He could finally be with Ash again and his only hope is that this time fate could be kinder to them.
As his plane landed in New York and he arrived at his new school all he could hope for is to not get bullied. He was a transfer student from Japan and he has heard about American students bullying Asian students for their heritage. He was made to introduce himself to his new classmates and was assigned to sit next to an American student who seemed lonely for someone so beautiful. The American student had a head of blonde hair and a pair of jade green eyes that felt painfully familiar to him. The American student extended his hand to him,
“Hi my name is Asian, but please call me Ash. it is a pleasure to know you, Eiji”
“Pleasure to know you too, Ash”